Western Courier

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Martyn Davis Tuesday's Cultural Cafe celebrated Pakistani food and culture, despite recent unrest in the country itself.

Call it a crisis, call it an emergency, call it martial law, call it whatever you want. It is the responsibility of the Pakistani people to decide what to make of their political unrest - for now.

When Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended the country's constitution due to a declared state of emergency Nov. 3, Pakistani exchange students at Western Illinois University were hesitant in addressing concerns over the welfare of their country.

"I might say something that I don't exactly mean that I don't want in print," said Fahd Majeed, junior computer science and economics double major from Islamabad, Pakistan's capital.

The students have cause to express themselves cautiously. Early Sunday, two dozen policemen raided the offices of AAJ-TV Islamabad, taking the station's equipment. Additionally, members of the media were reportedly issued a directive from the government warning that any criticism of the president or prime minister would be punishable by three years in jail and a fine of up to $70,000.

"Some of the news channels are not working," said Muhammad Qadeer Haider, graduate mathematics student. "We are just relying on news from the Internet, so we can't say anything very authentic about it."

"I suggest that students go online toward private resources from the people in Pakistan and not rely on the media," Majeed added. "I'm disgruntled about the media we have portraying the situation back home. The media coverage you get over here … it's only on one particular thing, and that's (former prime minister) Benazir (Bhutto)."

Bhutto, who was placed on house arrest recently upon returning from a self-imposed eight-year exile from Pakistan, called for Musharraf to step down Tuesday. She is the leader of the Pakistan People's Party and is considered Musharraf's largest political opponent. Critics accuse her of exiling herself to nothing more than lavish vacations in Western democracy and culture.

Her messages have been paralleled with images of protests, terror and violence in Pakistan. As an opinions/editorial contributor for the New York Times, she has painted an American view of evil darkness regarding the country.

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